1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to snow-gliding apparatuses, in particular snowboards comprising a plurality of elements separable into at least two skis.
2. Background Information
Snowboarders often desire practicing their sport in areas that are not accessible to mechanical lifts, particularly in areas of virgin snow or areas less frequented by the public. To this end, a number of snowboarders use touring skis to ascend the slopes to reach a secluded hillside, while carrying a snowboard on their back. Once on the hillside, such snowboarders remove their skis, secure their boots to snowboard and descend the hillside, with the skis fastened on their back.
Due to the need to have a pair of skis and a snowboard, weight and space requirement pose a problem for the user.
To solve this problem, one solution is to join at least two elements side-by-side to form a gliding apparatus. The elements are affixed to one another to achieve a snowboard configuration, or separated to form two independent skis used to ascend the slopes.
European Patent EP 0 880 381-B1 discloses a snowboard comprising two gliding bodies elongated along a longitudinal axis. These gliding bodies form either two independent skis or opposite lateral gliding surfaces of a snowboard. In the snowboard configuration, a rear median gliding body is attached to the two lateral gliding bodies and a front median gliding body is attached to the two lateral gliding bodies. The median gliding bodies form a gliding surface between the lateral gliding bodies.
The front median gliding body is movable in relation to the rear median gliding body when the gliding apparatus is not assembled. These two median gliding bodies are not affixed to one another along a longitudinal direction. Therefore, they do not form a self-retaining intermediate gliding board. They can thus easily be spaced apart.
Consequently, assembly of the snowboard is not easy, as it requires handling at least four independent gliding bodies. This difficulty increases all the more in a snowy environment.
Moreover, the gliding apparatus comprises four connecting bars for affixing the elements to one another, which tends to weigh down and rigidify the gliding apparatus.
Finally, the connection between the two median gliding bodies to one another is uncertain. In the event of a play therebetween or during bending of the board, the interface between the two median gliding bodies may change and create ridges projecting from the lower gliding surface, which can slow down the user when gliding.